Adjustable actuating mechanism



Dec. 20, 1960 s. LINK 2,965,293

ADJUSTABLE ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. s, 1956 Hn aJNT United StatesPatent ADJUSTABLE ACTUATING MECHANISM Siegfried Link, Griesheim, nearDarmstadt, Germany,

assignor to Brunsviga Maschinenwerke Aktiengesellschaft, Braunschweig,Germany Filed Aug. 8, 1956, Ser. No. 602,837

Claims. (Cl. 235-82) This invention relates to calculating machines, andmore particularly to calculating machines having a mechanism cooperatingwith the key stems.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the transfermechanism inserted between the key stems and the mechanism controllingthe adjustment of the calculating machine.

It is another object of the present invention to render possible a fineadjustment of the key stems with respect to a rocking member formingpart of the calculating machine.

It is a further object of the invention to avoid any high precision inthe manufacture of the calculating machine.

It is still another object of the present invention to renderdispensable the complicated after adjustment of the parts of thecalculating machine.

It is a still further object of the present invention to obtain asubstantial reduction of the expenses caused by the production of themechanism of the calculating machine.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description thereof in connection with theaccompanying drawings showing, by way of example, an embodiment of thepres ent invention. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partlyin section, of a transfer mechanism according to the invention,

Fig. 2, left half, is a front elevation, partly in section, of themechanism shown in Fig. 1 taken at right angles thereto along the lineII-II of Fig. l, and

Fig. 2, right half, is a front elevation, partly in section, of themechanism shown in Fig. 1 taken along the lines III-III of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that an elongated rockingmember 1 is supported on the ends thereof so that it is enabled toperform swivel motions about the longitudinal axis thereof throughangles depending on keyed numeral. At the right end of the rockingmember 1, a side plate or lug 2 forming part of the member is bent oifvertically to the swivel axis. A trunnion 3 is arranged in the sideplate 2 and in a bore of stationary wall 20, said trunnion beingadjustable, if desired. At the left end of the rocking member 1 asimilar lug 4 is arranged which is provided with an axial bore throughwhich extends a shaft 5 supported for rotation in a bore of a bearingplate 6 which is adjustable up and down as more fully to be describedhereinafter. The left end of the shaft 5 is supported by a bearing plate7. Thus it will be realized that by the bearing plate 6, the shaft 5 andthe lug 4 connected therewith, the left end of the rocking member 1 issupported for rotation. The lug 4 is connected with a bottom plate 8forming part of the member 1 and being arranged parallel to thelongitudinal axis thereof and at a small distance therefrom. The lug 4and the bottom plate 8 form with each other a sheet angle of 90.

portion 9 of the shaft 5 bent at right angles thereto so as to engagethe bore 21.

The upper edge of the rocking member 1 is designed to form a pluralityof steps 17 each of which is arranged opposite to one of ten key stems10 arranged for vertical up and down motions in a stationary frame 18.The keys (not shown) associated with the key stems are designed in awell-known manner so that the leftmost key stem 10 is coordinated withthe numeral 1 whereas the remaining key stems 10 are coordinated step bystep with the numerals 2 to 9. The geometrical shape of the key stems 10may be seen from Fig. 2 according to which each stem is provided with aninclined lower edge such as 22 which on depression of the associated key(not shown) engages the opposite arranged step 17 of the upper edge ofthe rocking member 1.

The operation of this device is as follows:

The geometrical axes of the swivelling parts, including the rockingmember 1 and the shaft 5, are determined by the positions of thetrunnion 3 and the bearing plates 6 and 7 arranged under idealconditions in a straight line. However, for a fine adjustment of theseparts the bearing plate 6 may be shifted in upward or downward directionon a stationary vertical wall 15 to be described hereinafter more indetail. The shifting of the bearing plate 6 is equivalent to a bendingof the geometrical axis of the rocking member 1 and the shaft 5 so thatthe stepped upper edge of the rocking member may be approached to, orwithdrawn from, the inclined lower edges 22 of the key stems 10 by smallamounts in order to correct any slight inaccuracies thereof, the bearingtrunnion 3 and the bearing plate 7 being fixed in position during thiscorrecting step.

' tatably connected by suitable means such as a screw 13 Through a bore21 of the bottom plate 8 extends the end with a ring 1'2 forming the hubportion of a one-armed lever 11 forming part of the adjustmentcontrolling mechanism (not shown). Thus it will be understood that theposition of the lever 11 is practically not affected by the correctingsteps described hereinabove. In any case it is not required to practiceto reduce the distance between the bearing plate 7 and the hub ring 12any further although this could be done if desired.

When the rocking member 1 has been finely adjusted by the up and downadjustment of the bearing plate 6 so that the longitudinal axis of themember 1 is parallel to the horizontal lower edges 24 of the key shaft10 and all numerals of the adjustment control mechanim (not shown) haveexactly the same position, it remains to be checked whether or not thesenumerals appear exactly in the reading window (not shown) provided inthe calculating machine opposite the adjustment control mechanism (notshown) or whether the numerals appear more or less shifted against thereading window. If no exact zero position in which the numerals doappear exactly in the reading window, the screw 13 is loosened so thatthe hub 12 of the lever 11 may be rotated on the shaft 5 by a smallangle whereupon the screw 13 is tightened again.

The articulated connection shown in the drawings is particularly simple.The angle formed by the shaft 5 and the end portion 9 thereof allows tofollow the slight bendings or deviations from the ideal position of theshaft 5 coinciding with the straight line forming the axis of therocking member 1. However, if desired, the articulated connection shownin the drawings may be replaced by other articulated connections thoughthe embodiment thereof described hereinabove and shown in the drawingsis particularly inexpressive due to its simplicity and satisfiesperfectly the object of the present invention.

The bearing plate 6 holding the shaft at the right end thereof andindirectly also the leftlug 4 of the rocking member 1 is secured bymeans of a screw 14' to a stationary plate 15 provided with a hole 16having sufficient dimensions for allowing the shaft 5 to be adjusted asdescribed hereinabove. Furthermore, a pin 25 is secured to thestationary plate 15 and engages an elongated hole 26 of the bearingplate 6 which thus may be adjusted relatively to the stationary plate15.

Apart from the most important advantage, viz. the possibility of exactlyadjusting the steps 17 of the rocking member 1 relatively to the keystems 10 and the inclined edges 22 thereof without exerting a disturbinginfluence on the transfer mechanism (not shown) connected with the lever11 arranged at the left end of the shaft 5, the further advantage shouldbe stressed that the articulated connection between the shaft 5 and therocking member 1 which has been described in detail hereinabovepreeludes any clamping or locking action which might easily happen in arigid unit supported at three different places.

By the articulated connection according to the present invention thebearing is rendered adjustable as relatively to the height thereof sothat the rocking member 1 may be adjusted at this bearing positiontoward the key stems 10 and in the reverse direction. Since the otherbearing 3 is fixed in the end wall an adjustment of the height of theopposite bearing plate 6 the inclination or slope of the longitudinalaxis of the rocking member 1 is adjusted. In this manner the steps 17 ofthe rocking member may be adjusted in an exactly horizontal position inwhich they are parallel to the lower edges 24 of the key stems 10.

When in this manner an absolutely uniform distance ratio has beenobtained between the steps 17 of the rocking member 1 and the key stems10 all numerals are equalized in their mutual ratio, so that it issufiicient to control the key stems 10 for association with the lowestnumeral 1 and the highest numeral 9. When these two values agree withrespect to the angular position of the numerals thereof in the readingwindow (not shown) of the visual control mechanism (not shown), the sameapplies for any intermediate numeral so that the longitudinal axis ofthe rocking member 1 is adjusted in a position being parallel to thehorizontal lower edges 24 of the key stems 10. If the numerals shouldexhibit a small angular rotation against the nominal position in thereading window (not shown), the adjustable swivelling device 6, 14, 15,16 of the rocking member 1 should be readjusted so as to secure theexact zero position of the rocking member 1.

I have described hereinabove a preferred embodiment of a transfermechanism cooperating with the key stems of a calculating machine.However, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited tothe details thereof, the subject matter which I believe to be new andpatentable being defined by the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine, a row of key stems, an elongated rockingbail member, a first stationary bearing pivotally engaging one end ofsaid rocking bail member, a shaft substantially axially aligned withsaid rocking bail member, said shaft articulated to the other end ofsaid rocking bail member for a common rocking motion, a secondstationary bearing supporting said shaft at a comparatively largedistance from said rocking bail member, said first and second bearingsbeing aligned to define a rocking axis substantially parallel to saidrow of key stems, and an adjustable bearing for said shaft adjustable ina direction perpendicular to said shaft and towards and away from saidkey stems, said adjustable bearing engaging said shaft close to saidrocking bail member, whereby adjustment of said bearing slightlydisaligns the rocking axes of said shaft and of said rocking bailmember.

2. In a calculating machine as claimed in claim 1, an angular piecehaving two legs rigid with the other end of said rocking bail member,said first leg having a bore through which said shaft extends, saidshaft having a bent end portion, said adjustable bearing engaging saidshaft close to said rocking bail member, engaging a bore in said secondleg for a common rocking motion and a slight relative shifting motion inthe direction of the rocking axis.

3. In a calculating machine as claimed in claim 1, a rocking motiontransmitting device, said device being mounted on said shaft close tosaid second stationary bearing for a common rocking motion therewith.

4. In a calculating machine, in combination, an elongated rccking bailmember, a plurality of key stems arranged parallel to one another formovement towards and away from said member, said member having aplurality of steps arranged substantially opposite said key stems so asto be engageable thereby, a shaft substantially axially aligned withsaid rocking bail member, a bearing for said shaft, said bearing beingslidably mounted to be displaceable perpendicular to said shaft towardsand away from said plurality of key stems, and an angular piece integralwith one end of said member and forming a linkage connecting said shaftwith said end of said rocking bail member, said angular piece having afirst leg arranged substantialy at right angles with respect to saidshaft, said shaft penetrating a bore of said first leg of said angularpiece, said angular piece having a second leg arranged at a relativelysmall distance from said shaft, said shaft having an end portionextending substantially at right angles with respect to said shaft andengaging an elongated bore of said second leg of said angular piece.

5. In a machine as claimed in claim 4, said bearing holding the axiallyarranged portion of said shaft closely in front of said first leg ofsaid angular member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,309,536 Mays July 8, 1919 1,843,764 Galloway et al Feb. 2, 19322,395,393 Brilliantine Feb. 26, 1946 2,587,851 Hyman Mar. 4, 19522,615,632 Machado Oct. 28, 1952

